Image left to right: Kylie Pohio (Board member MFA), Roxanne Koni (President of Green Island FC), Joanne Gurnick (Treasurer of MFA)
Women in Football Leadership Programme – NZ Football
Kylie Pohio and I were invited to attend the ‘Women in Football Leadership’ Programme by NZ Football where more than twenty wāhine from across Aotearoa took part in the NZ Football Women in Leadership Programme, a development journey focused on Leading Self and strengthening female leadership within football.
Across two modules, we all explored:
· Mindset & Confidence – understanding the difference between fixed and growth mindsets, recognising the inner critic, and learning tools to respond rather than react.
· Values & Self-Awareness – using the Iceberg Model to understand how beliefs and needs shape behaviour.
· Emotional Intelligence – naming emotions, creating space to think clearly, and leading with empathy.
· Influence & Communication – strengths-spotting, giving effective feedback, and navigating courageous conversations.
· Psychological Safety – understanding what helps teams thrive and how leaders can create safe, inclusive environments.
The Women in Football Leadership Programme gave us practical tools we can directly apply to Māori Football Aotearoa, including growth-mindset thinking, emotional intelligence, courageous conversations, and strengths-based leadership. These learnings help us build safer, more connected environments for our players, volunteers, and whānau, while strengthening how we communicate, plan, and respond to challenges.
One of the biggest insights was realising that every woman in football faces similar barriers—limited funding, lack of support, and inadequate facilities—regardless of their role or region. We also discovered that many of us share the same self-doubt, often feeling under-qualified or not good enough, even though we are highly capable. The most valuable outcome was the network we gained – over twenty talented wāhine from across Aotearoa who now form a powerful support system, offering collaboration, shared knowledge, and a collective voice that will uplift Māori Football Aotearoa moving forward.
A huge thank you to Annalie Longo for organising this event. Also to Paula Hansen and Johanna Wood for their support during this course. Last but certainly not least, thank you to Annie Kennedy who has a refreshing way of delivering these modules with her bubbly, cheerful personality.
Jo Gurnick
“A proud and meaningful occasion saw two wāhine Māori come together to present a football shirt to a female football club president. The presentation celebrated the achievement of a talented young Māori player who has earned selection for the U16 Whanapoikiri Pounamu team travelling to New Caledonia later this year”. – Kylie Pohio
